Matt is a Hand Tattoo Person now... There is no going back.

Well, I'm a guy with a tattoo on my hand now. There is no going back. Tattoo number 5 is done and in the exact place I want it. 

I went with the Hebrew word, Shalom, which many know means "peace".  It was the topic of my final sermon (which I will include a link to, once it has been uploaded) before I stepped down as a pastor of Edgewood Church.  It is also a word that exemplifies, not only what I've aimed for in my life, but also what I long for the most in the next. The Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Dictionary defines this word as:  

1) completeness, soundness, welfare, peace (a) completeness (in number), (b) safety, soundness (in body), (c) welfare, health, prosperity, (d) peace, quiet, tranquillity, contentment, (e) peace, friendship, (e1) of human relationships, (e2) with God especially in covenant relationship, (f) peace (from war), (g) peace (as adjective)

In other words, it is the making of everything right in a world where everything is wrong. 

A Christmas Sermon for Pagans

Strand Magazine published this Christmas Sermon by C. S. Lewis in December of 1946. The title: A Christmas Sermon for Pagans.

Farewell Old Friends

 

Farewell old friends. 

I thought many of us would make it to the end together, but so few are remaining on board and so many are jumping ship.  More and more every day. 

And unlike so many others... I cannot... I will not... jump ship with you, thinking that Christ will come with me.  There is not a relationship on this planet that I would bend the law of Christ to maintain. Not a one. 

And it is not simply my love of Christ that compels me. I will also seek to maintain my lack of Christian / Familial fellowship with you, my fallen brothers, out of the vague but essential hope that this visible, tangible broken relationship with me, as you cling to your sin, might help you to see the invisible, but more real and more broken relationship with the Father before it is too late. 

Oh, if only other believers would but take the same approach, hoping to make it clear to all that friendship with the world is enmity toward God. 

Farewell old friends. I hope you know that when you return to the Father, I will be running down the road with him to greet you and not sulking in the fields. 

I know he lives.

 C.R. Wiley - From The Household and the War for the Cosmos

"I hate to say it, but even the piety of Wesley and Whitfield was a downgrade of the real thing. This is because by the eighteenth-century piety’s sphere had already contracted. It is a well-documented story, so I won’t go into detail, but I think I can sum it up succinctly. By the time of Wesley and Whitfield, what had once been regarded as public truth had been reduced to private convictions. Authority in general had eroded due to revolutions in politics, the sciences, and even economics. To meet the challenge evangelists were forced to stress direct, very personal experience of the supernatural by everyone. The second-hand Truth contained in catechisms and confessions was no longer enough. Even eyewitness accounts of the risen Christ were not as trustworthy as a “warmed heart.” This is how we ended up with a hymn like “I Serve a Risen Savior.” In that song the line that is supposed to persuade you to believe that Jesus rose from the dead is, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!” What we are left with today is heart religion, because now the heart is the only place Jesus can be publicly acknowledged to live. Ironically, many people think that this is the sum total of Christianity, and the notion that this is actually a downgrading of the faith is inconceivable."

Post Tenebras Lux

A modification of the Post Tenebra Lux (After Darkness Light) Seal of Geneva. 

 

A Triumphal Entry - Into your Soul.

 

Rejoice in the Wife of your Youth.

 

My one and only since 1989. 

The Covenant Household Free Today

Kindle version of this book is free today.

  

You may need to look for a new church.

 

Revival

Worship isn't an experience.

 

Sunflower Doodle

Open Letters to a Son: Letter 1 - The Bible Part 1

 Open Letters to a Son 1: The Bible Part 1

‘Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall run from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.’ (Amos 8:11f.)

To my Son:

If you were to ask me, my son, what is one of the most deceptive, destructive, dangerous ideas that has ever intruded upon mankind, I would have to say it was an idea that was encapsulated in a question. It is the first recorded question asked right at the dawn of humanity. You can find the first words of this question in Genesis 3:1, where we read of the Serpent, who had entered the Garden and all that was good and all that was of God, and simply began by saying, “Did God actually say…?”

Watch Your Mouth

Episode 99 - Watch Your Mouth

I know a few people who claim Christianity but don't seem to have any problem using profanity or making an inappropriate joke from time to time. I don't often confront those who aren't as careful with their mouths and I've often had to explain why I don't use bad words. I'm not standing in any sort of judgment here: I've had a strong personal stance on profanity my whole life (even before I was dedicated to following Jesus, I believed it was wrong), but forsaking slightly off-color or inappropriate jokes has been a much slower process. All I want to do here is offer a Biblical perspective on this area of the Christian life. I would like to do that with four points, all from Paul's letter to the Ephesians. 

Cheap grace is...

[Cheap grace is] the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs. Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin. Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship; 

as quoted in Kevin DeYoung's book: What does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?

To those who have cracked the problem of unity in the church.

Listen: 

Unity in the church, amongst believers, was an essential thing for Paul the Apostle. On multiple occasions, he either wrote about the need for unity directly or it was implied through one of the many "one another" passages. Many a church leader has pondered this need for unity, have taught extensively on its practicalities, and worked tirelessly with members of their churches to promote it -- all to be met with tension in the church, relational strains with their members, and sometimes disunity that leads to division. 

Well, I want to offer some hope to church leaders everywhere.  Right in the middle of my own unity prepping, studying, teaching, and training, I accidentally found that there are some people who have already solved the unity problem. They were right around us and were probably there all along but went unnoticed by us pastors and teachers. There are at least five types of unity I've discovered with these unity triumphant people who have made themselves manifest to their own unity. Here are those five types, in no particular order. 

Disclaimer: any resemblance to actual people is mostly coincidental. This is meant to represent conglomerations of people, not any one person in particular. I've met multiple people in each of these categories... and most likely, so have you - that is what makes it funny. 

Not now...

 I feel I should write this book: 

Ep. 93 - Saturday Unscripted No. 3

 In this episode: 

• This week: life with the ADD mind!
• Thoughts on Tomorrow's Sermon.
• Book Thoughts / Book Quote: This week from George MacDonald's At the Back of the North Wind. 

At The Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald

 I've started reading my next public domain book. This time it is a children's book. It is called At The Back of the North Wind and it is written by George MacDonald. You can listen to the first chapter here: 

Great Thoughts (From Paul Washer) on Worship

 

Great Faith or Great God

Luke 17:5-6

 

Ep. 91 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 13 Part 3

 Episode 91

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 13 Part 3

Ep. 89 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 13 Part 2

 Episode 89

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 13 Part 2

Ep. 88 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 13 Part 1

 Episode 88

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 13 Part 1

Entertainers of Goats

While others shelve the Scriptures to become entertainers of goats rather than feeders of sheep, we must declare with William Still, "Let goats entertain goats, and let them do it out in goat-land"! A pastor must feed his flock with "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) as one who knows that the Bible, as is the Christ it reveals, is true food and drink (cf. John 6:55), both for his people and also for himself. Show me a pastor for whom the Bible is the song of his heart and the source of his deepest convictions, and I will show you a pastor who speaks with the power of heave behind his words, yet who walks in a spirit of humility and in utter dependence on God.

William R. Edwards, Theology for Ministry: How Doctrine Affects Pastoral Life and Practice

The Call of the Wild - Chapter 6 - For the Love of a Man

 The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Chapter 6 For the Love of a Man

Ep. 87 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 12 Part 3

 Episode 87

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 12 Part 3

Pride Month Resources for the Church

 7 Pride Month Resources for the Christian Community 

The Gospel Coalition (Canada) recently published an article sharing resources for Pride Month. (You can read that article by clicking here.) This, along with the onslaught of pride-related images, posts, updates, and shares, got me to thinking that I ought to put some resources out there for my Edgewood Church family as they navigate pride month, pride fests, and pride coalitions, along with the proud people promoting these things. It has become increasingly important for me, as a pastor, to consider what I can do to shepherd the flock of God in all faithfulness so that when the Chief Shepherd appears, I might receive the crown of glory (see 1 Peter 5:1-4).  

This shepherding duty is not one that I take lightly. And now with people professing to know the truth and desiring to be teachers, but not having "...understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions." (See 1 Timothy 1:7), the job of defending the faith is one that requires two voices... as John Calvin says, "The Pastor ought to have two voices, one, for gathering the sheep, and another, for driving away wolves."

image via https://www.reftoons.com/ 

Being a bi-vocational pastor, I don't always have the time or the energy to deploy both voices as often as they are needed. This means that sometimes my best option is to point the sheep to the best watering holes and the richest pastures. Specifically, places where other shepherds have taken their flocks or where I've seen other sheep come away stuffed with a marvelous feast. So, here are a few of those bountiful places to graze, especially if you are famished or starving for some genuine food.

Reclaim the Rainbow by Bryson Gray, Shemeka Michelle, Jimmy Levy

Ep. 86 Reading with Pastor Matt the Mortification of Sin Chapter 12 Part 2

 Episode 86

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 12 Part 2

Shipwreck

 

Be thoughtful about the excellence and majesty of God and your infinite, inconceivable distance from him.

 

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 12

Ep. 85 - Saturday Unscripted for June 10th, 2023

 Episode 85

Saturday Unscripted for June 10th, 2023

In this episode, I talk about my week, my other podcast, tomorrow's sermon, and a Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote from Life Together.

Ep. 84 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 12 Part 1

Episode 84

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 12 Part 1

Reading Books

 I know that if you've followed this blog for any amount of time, especially in the last few years, you know I also have a podcast. What you may not know is that I have another podcast... 

To be honest, I forgot I had the other podcast. 

My other podcast is called Public Domain Books that are Harmless. I initially created that podcast during the "lockdowns" of 2020. I created it because I had been tasked with making "homeroom" videos for my school, where I was a disciplinary dean. (As you can imagine, there weren't a whole lot of disciplinary issues that we were dealing with.) Since I had a little more time on my hands, I decided to do some reading and making it available to the students.

Come to the Quiet (Psalm 131) by John Michael Talbot

 
Come to the Quiet (Psalm 131)
by John Michael Talbot

Lyrics: 
Lord, my heart is not proud
Nor are my eyes fixed on things beyond me
In the quiet, I have stilled my soul
Like a child at rest on its mother’s knee
I have stilled my soul within me

Israel, come and hope in your Lord
Do not set your eyes on things far beyond you
Just come to the quiet
Come and still your soul
Like a child at rest on its Daddy’s knee
Come and still your soul completely

Reading the Call of the Wild by Jack London Chapter 1

 Reading The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Chapter 1 - Into the Primitive

Reading Revelation Number 1 - Revelation 1:1-3

The Revelation of Jesus Christ 

[1] The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. [3] Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 

(Revelation 1:1–3 ESV)

I've been avoiding you, you Book of Revelation. Not all revelation, just the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Wow, that sounds terrible. More clarity is needed... I've been avoiding the actual Book of the Bible that we call "The Revelation to John." 

Ep. 82 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 11 Part 3

 Episode 82

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 11 Part 3

Ep. 81 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 11 Part 2

 Episode 81

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 11 Part 2

Ep. 80 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin Chapter 11 Part 1

 Episode 80

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 11 Part 1

My precious tomato.

You cute little precious baby tomato... I'll nourishes you and cares for you. And then one day, when you are grown, I'll slice you up and eat you raw.

 

Ep. 79 - Reading with Pastor Matt On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 10 Part 3

 Episode 79

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 10 Part 3

Ep. 78 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 10 Part 2

 Episode 78

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 10 Part 2

Ep. 77 Reading with Pastor Matt On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 10 Part 1

 Episode 77

Reading with Pastor Matt

On the Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 10 Part 1

The Prodigal Son Suite

 Tomorrow's sermon is from Luke 15:11-32. I cannot help but have this song in my head during my preparation: 

Keith Green - The Prodigal Son Suite

Ep. 76 - Reading with Pastor Matt On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 9 Part 3

 Episode 76

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 9 Part 3

Ep. 75 - Reading with Pastor Matt On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 9 Part 2

 Episode 75

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 9 Part 2

Ep. 74 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 9 Part 1

 Episode 74

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 9 Part 1

Soul War

Ep. 73 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 8 Part 2

 Episode 73

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 8 Part 2

The Podcast Perfomance

 

Last month my podcast reached a new all-time record for the number of plays. I hit 201 plays in the last 30 days!

If you have not already subscribed to my podcast, please consider doing that now: 

Here are the apps where my podcast is available: 

• Amazon Music
• CastBox
• Google Podcasts
• iHeart Radio
• Pocket Casts
• Radio Public
• Spotify
• Sticher

You can also support my podcast or send me a voice message by going here:

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mattharmless

"... the delight is incomplete till it is expressed."

 “I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. It is frustrating to have discovered a new author and not to be able to tell anyone how good he is; to come suddenly, at the turn of the road, upon some mountain valley of unexpected grandeur and then to have to keep silent because the people with you care for it no more than for a tin can in the ditch; to hear a good joke and find no one to share it with. . . . The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.”

― C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms

Ep. 72 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 8 Part 1

 Episode 72

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 8 Part 1

Don't Be A Lone Ranger Christian

Episode 71 - Don't be a Lone Ranger Christian

(Any resemblance to actual people that might occur in this post is purely coincidental and speaks more to the prevalence of this issue and not to my desire to point anyone out.)

There is something new that is plaguing Christian communities. Ok, well... maybe it isn't new, I don't really know, but it is new to me. Actually, now that I think about it, it might not even be new to me, but it is definitely something that is now demonstrating itself in a newly exaggerated state. It is sort of like when an artist draws a caricature of a person: The artist will exaggerate any feature that is slightly noticeable in order to create the caricature. This is what is happening in our Christian Communities - we always had lone-ranger Christians, but it has never been as apparent or as grotesque as it is today. 

Before I proceed, allow me to outline the format of this post. I'll begin by defining the title I've created: The Lone Ranger Christian. After that, I would like to describe the three contributing factors that I believe have exaggerated the noticeable characteristics of The Lone Ranger Christian, creating its current caricature. Finally, I will attempt to, in as brief a way as possible, share a couple of Biblical insights that I hope will battle this issue and strengthen the Church. 

Ep. 70 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 7 Part 3

 Episode 70

Reading with Pastor Matt 

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 7 Part 3

Ep. 69 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 7 Part 2

Episode 69

Reading with Pastor Matt

On The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 7 Part 2

Ep. 68 - Navigating Two Aspects of my Job (As a Pastor)

Episode 68 - Listen Here: 

For those that do not know: 

My name is Matt Harmless. I am in my 23rd year as a math teacher. All but one of my first nine years of teaching were in the private Christian School setting. The rest of my career has been in public education (with the last seven years at Danville High School in Danville, IL). I have also been a pastor at Edgewood Church in Danville since the summer of 2009. I share this information for those that might be new here, but also as an introduction to today's post. 

I am going to discuss two aspects of my job, but not my teaching job... my pastoral job. I may take some time to talk about aspects of being a teacher in another post, but I wanted to make some specific points about my job as a pastor. More specifically, I wanted to discuss two things that Paul the Apostle mentions in his letter to Titus. 

Ep. 67 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 7 Part 1

Episode 67 

Reading with Pastor Matt 

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 7 Part 1 

Ep. 66 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 6 Part 3

Episode 66 

Reading with Pastor Matt 

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 6 Part 3 

Ep. 65 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 6 Part 2

Episode 65 

Reading with Pastor Matt 

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 6 Part 2 

Ep. 64 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 6 Part 1

 Episode 64

Reading with Pastor Matt

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 6 Part 1

Ep. 63 - Wheat and Tares

Image via Google Search

Listen Here: 

In Matthew 13:24–30, Jesus tells us this parable:

[24] He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, [25] but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. [26] So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. [27] And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ [28] He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ [29] But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (Matthew 13:24–30 ESV)

Ep. 62 Reading with Pastor Matt the Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 5 Part 3

 

Episode 62

Reading with Pastor Matt

On the Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 5 Part 3

Soul Poverty and the Abnegation of All Things

 

They Went Out

 

May the 4th (Reftoons)

 

Image Via Reftoons

Abortion Update in Danville Illinois

I would like to begin this post by sharing some information. If you haven't already heard, the City of Danville voted an ordinance into place that could potentially affect an abortion clinic from relocating to Danville from Indiana. Here are a few of the news articles:

Image Via WAND TV

Ep. 61 - Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 5 Part 2

Episode 61

Reading with Pastor Matt

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 5 Part 2

Ep. 60 - Open Letter to the City Council of Danville

Listen to this letter with the actual audio clips from the April 25th meeting.

 Here is the statement that I planned on reading tonight at the city council meeting: 

Ep. 59 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 5 Part 1

Episode 59 

Reading with Pastor Matt 

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 

Chapter 5 Part 1

Ep. 58 Reading with Pastor Matt The Mortification of Sin by John Owen Chapter 4 Part 3

 

Episode 58

Reading with Pastor Matt

The Mortification of Sin by John Owen

Chapter 4 Part 3

God Hates Abortion

 "As a theologian, I am firmly convinced that God hates abortion and will judge it thoroughly."

-R.C. Sproul